The maximum penalty for killing a single bird protected under the legislation is a $5350 fine and six months’ jail, with additional fines for each subsequent bird killed. Yesterday the workers were fined a total of $740 each. This works out at $37 per bird killed. The case against the firms involved has been adjourned until next month.

As a fine this is a total joke and shows the courts are not serious about conserving endangered species. Maybe the workers were acting on the instructions of the firms. Even so the fines seem absurdly low. I’ll watch to see what happens when the firms go to Court – if they directed the workers to carry out the killings they should be slugged with heavy fines and penalties and forced to contribute to restoration of the species in the wild.